A (0:00)

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try it@progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Not available in all states or situations. Prices vary based on how you buy. It's another busy bustling Monday evening at Miami International Airport. But on this night, you're a fly on the wall. The way we're gonna handle it is I only need her driver's license and her cell phone. As both police and FBI agents are moments from a major bust and their target is an unlikely suspect. A 73 year old grandmother who's accused of being the mastermind of a murder. Authorities believe she's just moments from from making her escape. Can I turn it? Her one way trip to Vietnam stopped cold right there on the jetway. As police body cameras roll incriminating evidence. Says former prosecutor Matt Murphy, who breaks it down for us by effectuating the arrest at the gate. They eliminate that as a defense. Like, oh, I wasn't actually gonna leave, she was leaving. I mean, that's her husband. Bags packed, tickets bought your cell phone. I don't want to give it to you. Why do I. Cell phones generate so much evidence in murder cases. They're trained. You never let a criminal suspect have an opportunity to delete anything. Everyone can be seated. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the state of Florida versus Donna Adelson. Now that same Florida grandmother is on trial for that murder. Morning, everybody. Prosecutors alleging Donna Adelson is the architect behind a criminal conspiracy. A conspiracy to hire a hitman to kill her former son in law, Dan Markell. So how is it that Donna finds herself there in that courtroom? The jury hears what begins as a great American success story. This was a family who had it all. You'll hear during this trial that the Adelson family is a very tight knit family. The defendant, her son Charlie Adelson and her husband Harvey Adelson actually all worked together at their family's dental practice. She was the details person and she managed much more. She was the matriarch and a domineering one at that. If you lived in South Florida long before Dan Markel was murdered, you would have known the Adelsons for their dental practice, the Adelson Institute. Harvey was extremely successful dentist. He runs at the Adelson Institute of Dentistry. Harvey Adelson is someone I've known my entire life. He's a dentist and he was married to Donna and he had three kids, Robert, Charlie and Wendy. Charlie went to dentist school, got his degree, came back, and then he was helping Harvey in his practice. The Adelson family dental practice did not include older son Robert. He's a New York based physician who for years has been estranged from the family. Wendy was always an all star. She was incredibly bright as a child. She did phenomenally well in high school. And incredibly smart and gregarious and well loved by everybody. Wendy Adelson does something a little different than everyone in her family. She goes into law. Wendy has an internship in Washington, D.C. where another young lawyer is also just starting out. Danny was a very warm person to start with, with everybody. He never greeted people with a handshake. It was always a hug. Dan is the only son of Ruth and Phil Markell, who raised him in a conservative Jewish home in Toronto, Canada. A young woman named Wendy Adelson searched him on JDate, the Jewish dating service. And she was sitting with her mother, Donna, searching for a candidate for her to meet. And so they're looking up Dan Markel. She was a very warm, she's a very attractive person. And it was a beautiful thing to see Danny in love. Wendy and Dan's relationship moves quickly and in less than a year, they're engaged. But as soon as they tie the knot, it becomes clear who's calling the shots in this family. It's not Dan or even Wendy. It's Wendy's mother, Donna. She was extremely controlling. She had very strong opinions about all the decisions in Wendy Adelson's life, whether it be about her career, her relationships, or even purchasing a home. After their wedding, Wendy Adelson and Dan Markel moved to Tallahassee, the capital of Florida. Dan and Wendy did both get jobs at Florida State University Law School. They lived in Betten Hills, which is a neighborhood in the center of Tallahassee. It's quite an affluent community. I know they owned a house and they both lived there together with their two boys. Danny was a great father with all his accomplishments. To me, I'm the proudest of him as a father. His boys were the entire world to him. While Dan is thriving in Tallahassee, Wendy is lamenting the state of her marriage. She reveals her feelings in this 2015 episode of the podcast Writing Class Radio. Our marriage dissolved after the children arrived as the loneliness of being married to someone that didn't view me as an equal crept in. By 2012, it's during one of his trips to a conference in New York City that Wendy calls Dan to Deliver devastating news. She says, I'm leaving. It's over. Dan says, please don't do this. We can still work this out. He gets on a flight to come back to tallahassee. He walks into the bedroom, and there was divorce papers on the bed. Less than seven years after exchanging wedding vows, Wendy adelson and Dan markell are exchanging accusations in divorce court. The divorce got really nasty, and I think the boiling point was when Wendy couldn't leave Tallahassee, Couldn't relocate to south Florida, Dan wouldn't agree to it, which means Donna's grandchildren will remain almost 500 miles away from her. With Wendy and Dan's divorce now finalized, the focus for the adelson family becomes custody of the two boys and where they will live. So Donna adelson, being the doting grandma that she says she is, was upset. Donna began this campaign that and she wrote these lengthy emails to Wendy. Donna refers to Dan markell as gibbers, which is clearly a derogatory term. It's time to take control of your life and not let jibbers think he's won anything by having you remain in tallahassee. A month before their next court appearance, Donna sends Wendy a long email suggesting ways to needle her ex husband. Let's show this what will make him absolutely miserable. You know his weak points. Money, religion, control. Then Donna suggests to wendy that they baptize their grandsons and dress them in nazi uniforms. A stunning proposition from someone of the jewish faith. Let gibbers know that your children will be baptized in the catholic church. That's when, in at least one of those emails, Donna puts her money where her mouth is. We plan to make a financial offer to him to allow this relocation. She suggested to wendy that they should go three ways to pay Danny a million dollars. Her and Harvey, Charlie and Wendy Gibrez hasn't beaten the adelson family yet. You have a very strong family behind you. Just remember that. I don't think at this point, money, threats of catholic school, you name it, we're gonna convince Dan to be separated from his kids. During Wendy and Dan's nasty custody fight, Dan says he discovered Donna adelson was telling her grandchildren their father was stupid. In fact, things appear to be coming to a head When Dan goes as far as filing a motion to prevent Donna from having unsupervised visits with her grandchildren. It would be the last motion that dan would ever file. Dan markell was known as Danny to his friends and family. The last day of his life began like any other day. Of his that summer. Hey, Wendy, it's Danny. Good morning. It's 9 o' clock on Friday. He woke up, he took his two young sons to preschool and then he went to the gym to work out. After finishing his workout, he returned home. As he pulls into his driveway around 11am, shots ring out. He's shot in his face and head. And a neighbor finds him slumped over in the front seat, but still breathing. As I looked inside, I saw a bloody head. And I hollered immediately, danny, what happened? And at that point I knew that I had to get the emergency medical team there as quickly as I could. 9 1. What's the address of your emergency? It's right next door to my house. Okay, what's going on with him? He's not responding to me. Once the paramedics arrive, he's quickly rushed to the hospital. Police tracked down his ex wife, Wendy, who's out to lunch with friends, and they bring her into the police station. There was a shooting at your ex husband's home. Oh my God. Okay, what happened? Well, before we get into everything, I have to establish where you were and who you were with and so forth. Okay. I just. How could this happen? She sits down for hours and then during that time, the police look at her phone, they look at her id, they swab her for fingerprints. Everything that you would do with a potential suspect. My ex husband caused me a lot of grief. I would never do something like that. I want to figure out who this is. Talking with police, Wendy drops a hint. She tells them she just had another bad breakup. This one with her new boyfriend. So police bring him in for an interview as well. Did he have a motive? Jeffrey Lakast comes in to talk to police willingly three times. He keeps coming back because it seems that he has a story to tell. Your name did come up, of course, because you were associated at some point with Wendy. Of course. Spent a lot of time with Wendy. I was in love with this grown man. I'm surprised you guys didn't call me earlier though. Cause I probably said a hundred times in public that I like to kick his ass because he kept me. He's right up front about saying that he didn't like this guy. He also has an ironclad alibi. He was out of town, you know. Right away, something clicks in his head and he seems to say, I think I know what happened. I'm concerned about my safety with what I'm gonna tell you, to be honest. So Danny Markell just got killed and I don't want to be next. I'm sorry if that sounds paranoid, but I do have some ideas. In his police interview, Lacasse points to Wendy's family, her parents, and specifically her brother Charlie, the dentist. The family desperately wants her back in south Florida. They hate Danny in a way I've never seen this kind of obsession like their hobby is hating Danny. As police are learning about all this bad blood between the Adelsons and their former in law, Dan Markell, there's this very telling moment in Wendy's police interview when she calls her mother to break the news that Dan had been shot. Hi, mom. How's it going? I need you to sit down. So during this police interview, Wendy tells Donna that Dan has been shot. He's not expected to live. Danny has been shot. There was a point where she was just kind of saying she was relieved to find that her mom was surprised at the news. Well, my parents sounded really surprised, so it's at least a relief. My parents would be angry, but they're not capable of this. And that's not all. Wendy makes this startling comment about something her brother Charlie once said to her. My brother, the one. His name is Charlie, the one I'm really close to, he makes a lot of jokes in bad taste. And it was a joke he made. Oh, I looked into hiring a hitman and it was cheaper to. To get you this tv, so instead I got you this tv. It was my divorce present. Okay. Such a horrible thing to say. Would you think that this guy Charlie would even be capable of doing something like this? No, no. Let's just talk. He's the joker. Okay. But Wendy's former boyfriend, Jeff Lacoste, told police that when she related the account to him, there was nothing funny about her. She told me that Charlie had looked into having Danny killed in the summer of 2013. She meant it dead serious. They could just say I would be investigating Charlie Adelson. I don't know if he did this. If you're looking at somebody, don't miss him. Meanwhile, Dan's parents rushed to Tallahassee, but they're too late. He dies less than 24 hours after being shot. I had wished that I could at least hold his hand before he passed away. I regret that very much. Dan's death was felt by so many. There were headlines all across Florida that covered his death, his murder, and the memorial for him because he touched so many lives. I was unbelievably moved. Just the outpouring of love for him. After Dan was murdered, the children went back to south Florida With Wendy, they're all living their lives down there. The children are growing up. They have adamantly denied any connection to the homicide or any involvement. It appears that the Adelsons get what they wanted after all. Wendy finds a new job in Miami and she enrolls her sons in school there. All this leaving Tallahassee police with just one single lead from the crime scene. You said there was another vehicle that you saw driving away. Yes, and it left the scene rapidly. It looked sort of like a Prius. The scene there, the crime scene, left no trace of the killers. There was no fingerprints, no DNA, no bullet casing. Nothing was stolen. And so police, police began to suspect that this may be a professional killing. One path is to track down that light colored Prius that the neighbor saw fleeing from the scene. And it has left the scene rapidly. It looked sort of like a Prius. Police take a particular interest in a green Toyota Prius seen at the gym Dan worked out at the morning he was shot. He exercises, comes back out, goes to his car. And the same vehicle, which hasn't left the parking lot is then seen pulling out of the parking lot, following behind the victim. We also find that car on video on a bus camera pulling into the victim's neighborhood or thereabouts shortly before the murder. And they notice there's a Sun Pass. It's the toll road pass. When police pulled those toll records, it led them to a hole in the wall rental agency in Miami that rents mostly hybrids. They find a contract was signed and that leads police to the men who rented that green Prius. Investigators are able to figure out who rented this green Prius. They track it back to the rental application, and on it they see both names. Luis Rivera and Siegfredo Garcia, who is listed as Luis's brother. Siegfredo Garcia was a low level criminal, had some drug arrest down in Miami. Luis Rivera, however, more of a hardened criminal. More hardened criminal, involved in a lot of gang activity. They rented it in their names with their phone numbers with a Sun Pass. They had their phones on while they were driving up there. Essentially, they just wrote a map for the cops. After tracking the two men from Miami all the way to Dan Markel's neighborhood in Tallahassee. Investigators are convinced Garcia and Rivera committed the murder. We also have the ATM video where on the day of the homicide, the two killers are seen driving through an ATM in that pine mica Prius. The police, they had a substantial amount of information to begin collecting a warrant to arrest these guys. But the question still not answered Is why. How did these two people, Siegfredo and Lewis, have any connection to Dan Markell? They discover that there is a link, and there's a mysterious woman who will be connected to this case. That link is Katie mcbanowa. She shares a child with Sigfredo Garcia. And get this. She's the former girlfriend of Charlie Adelson. Katie becomes this conduit, this. This connection point between the Adelsons and Dan Markell's murder. Absent her, you have nothing that links any of these people directly. Investigators form a picture of a complicated web involving two accused hitmen, a female go between, and the Adelson family. So investigators set out to follow the money. Investigators discovered that in the months after the murder, Katie mcmanua received some checks from. From the Adelson institute, and she made some rather large cash deposits. And those checks were signed by none other than Donna Adelson. With the Adelsons now firmly on their radar, investigators in south Florida put the family under surveillance because it was Donna who signed those checks to Katie. Investigators are now wondering if she's the mastermind behind this alleged plot. So they come up with an audacious plan to confront the family matriarch Outside her luxury condo building in Miami beach. She's got sunglasses on. She's got a black crossbody bag, and her hair is pulled back to the ponytail. Donna Adelson is approached on the street by a man she's never seen before. This person turns out to be an undercover FBI agent. Excuse me, Mrs. Adelson. How you doing? Just wanted to give you this. Listen. No, don't be scared. And he says that he was the brother of one of the assailants and that he needed something a little extra to take care. He helped your family with this problem you guys had up north. He's going through some rough times. The undercover detective says that I want $5,000 for you to help my family. Well, this will explain it. Thank you. He hands her a piece of paper that has a press release of Dan's murder on it, and it has a phone number for her to call to make that transaction with the money. When Donna calls her son Charlie to tell him what happened, it's a cryptic conversation. I got some paperwork hand delivered to me. Does it involve me or other people? Well, probably don't be. You probably have a general idea what I'm talking about. All right, so let's. Let's just find some time to talk to each other. She doesn't use the words murder or Dan Markell. She just Refers to it as you know about it. We'll talk later. It may have to do with the two of us. And Donna eventually calls the undercover agent. Hello. I have to tell you, I mean, this is important. I have been so stressed out because I don't know your friend who is in jail. I never met him. Let's stop around, okay? You know who Katie is, and you know that Katie has somebody that knows Tato and they took care of a problem for you. People you talk to the right people, you talk to people. You make this 5k come to me. That's all I need. Just do it and get it to me. I'll call you back. Despite those suspicious sounding phone calls, prosecutors ultimately feel they don't have enough evidence to move forward against Katie or any of the Adelsons. But they do have more than enough to pull the trigger on arresting the suspected hitman. One of the men accused of killing FSU law professor Dan Markell is now behind bars. On May 25, 2016, the news breaks in Tallahassee. Siegfredo Garcia is arrested for the murder of Dan Markell. And soon after, Luis Rivera is also charged for the murder. We can provide additional information regarding this investigation. Just eight days later, police release the probable cause affidavit for Sigfredo Garcia. In it, investigators allege his involvement in this murder stemmed from the desperate desire of the Adelson family to relocate Wendy and the children to south Florida. It was all over the news. So there's some feeling of, oh, wow. We just pray that those involved have to pay the price for what they've done. Then in October 2016, there's this dramatic breakthrough. Prosecutors announce a plea deal with Luis Rivera. They say he's ready to reveal who else he says was involved in Dan Markel's murder. Ask me, why. Are you gonna kill me? Before she was at the center of a murder investigation. And we now meet Donna Adelson from Coral Springs, Florida. I want to hear all about you, Donna. Let's go. Donna Adelson was center stage on Wheel of Fortune in October 1989. Donna F. Yes. Mischief maker. Yeah, that's it. But now Donna is suspected of making much more than just mischief. Excuse me, Mrs. Adelson. Investigators have targeted Donna Adelson as the alleged mastermind in a murder for hire plot against her own former son in law, Dan Markel. But to make the case against her, investigators have to construct a trail leading from the two alleged hitmen directly to the Adelson family. It's a murder case, and you can compare it, I would say, to a major drug deal. You get the lower hanging fruit, right? The people selling the drugs. They're selling it, but they're getting it from somewhere. They went up the ladder like you would do in a drug case. And in 2016, the first domino was about to fall. One of those alleged hitmen, Luis Rivera, decides to take a plea deal and confesses in exchange for a lesser sentence of second degree murder. You solemnly swear or affirm that the evidence you are about to give me is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Yes, sir. But Donna's name never comes up when he reveals what he claims his friend Sigfredo Garcia told him before they killed Dan Markell together. And he showed you a picture of Markel. Markel and said y' all were gonna go kill him. Mm. Rivera says they've already been given $5,000 in traveling expenses from a mysterious person that Garcia would only refer to as the lady. I asked him, why you gonna kill his guy? Because the lady wants her two kids back. The Rivera plea deal was important because although he was a gang member and part of this murder, everything he said was corroborated by the other evidence. Went to Markel's house. RCA jumps out, goes around the car while he's driving. Shot him twice, got in the car, we left. He calls Katie. Think about him. We had dumped the gun, and he said, everything is done. Make sure you have my money. I'm on my way. Once Luis Rivera starts talking and gives all of this information to police, they now have enough to bring down their next suspect, Katherine McBanawa. Well, who was Katherine McBanawa? Well, oh, she happened to be Charlie's ex girlfriend. She was the connection between Charlie Adelen and those two hitmen that actually came up to Tallahassee to murder Dan. Police in Florida arresting a single mom, accusing her of arranging the killing of a prominent Florida state law professor. Which brings us to the trial. Both Sigfredo Garcia and and Katie McVanua stand accused of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Can you be seated, please? It was a big deal that this was going to trial. Five years after Dan Markell's murder, Sifredo Garcia and Kathryn McVanua are tried together. It's a high profile case that's garnering attention across the world. We'll start with the state of Florida. Garcia and Megbano are on trial, but it seems like the prosecution is intent on making a case against Charlie, too. For example, listen to Wendy Adelson herself. Subpoenaed by the state as she testifies about katie and charlie. Did you say how you know there's nevaeh? She was dating my brother. Is it fair to say that your brother is very protective of you? I think that's fair to say. Did he ever joke about hiring a hitman? He did make that joke. Then perhaps the most critical testimony about charlie comes from his former girlfriend, Katie mcmanua herself. Your honor, at this time, the defense calls Kathleen mcbanowa to the town, Testifying in her own defense. Katie takes the stand and denies she had any involvement in the plot. Did you have anything to do with the murder of don markell? No, ma'. Am. Did you get the father of your children, Mr. Garcia, to commit a murder on behalf of Mr. Charlie Adelson? No, ma'. Am. But look who she does implicate. Her former boyfriend, charlie. Based on everything you've seen, do you think charlie was involved in this? Yes. Despite her denials, eventually, both mcbanawa and garcia are convicted on all charges. But the next domino is about to fall. Prosecutors waste no time working their way up that proverbial ladder, Alleging that Charlie adelson hired those two hitmen to drive to tallahassee to kill Dan markell. And a big step to building that case comes in early 2022. New evidence against Charlie. A secretly recorded videotape of a meeting years earlier between him and katie magbanua at a south florida restaurant. Technology allowed the FBI to enhance the audio years after the recording. But you still have to listen carefully to make it out. Of evidence. They would have already gotten under the. He's saying, if I thought they had enough evidence, I'd be at the airport. So. Suggesting that he would skip town if he thought there was more evidence out there against him. A grand jury has now indicted Charlie adelson In markell's death. Charlie is arrested. Adelson is charged with first degree murder, Conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation to commit murder. He pleads not guilty to all charges. From inside the leon county detention facility, Charlie adelson made his first appearance before a leon county judge Tuesday. Now Charlie will go on trial himself. But before he does, his defense attorney drops a bombshell. Charlie is going to take the stand, Leaving everyone to wonder, might he implicate someone else in the family to save his own skin? Prosecutors have long believed there was a larger conspiracy to kill Dan Markell with donna adelson as the ringleader. But on one October day in 2023, it's her son Charlie they put on trial for his Role. This defendant carried out his plan to hire a hitman to kill Dan Markell. He conspired and he solicited Kathryn McManua to get this murder done. They tell jurors that everything Charlie did, including plotting and payments, involves his mother, Donna. Donna is the overbearing matriarch who nags everyone to death. And this defendant fancied himself the savior of this family. Equal parts black sheep and mama's boy. I was in courtroom 3G for Charlie Adelson's trial to watch the prosecution make their case against him. I don't think that Tallahassee has seen a bigger story than this. Many people knew Dan Markell, and many people knew Wendy Adelson as well. And a key part of the prosecution's case, the already convicted Katie McBanowa, takes the stand. Remember, in her own trial, she had denied being part of the plot. Now she does a complete 180. You may take your seat. She testifies she was in on the murder all along. And she claims it was orchestrated by Charlie, starting nine months before the actual killing. He got in the car with me, and he asked me a question. Do you know anybody that can harm someone? And did you know anybody that could harm someone? Yes, ma', am, I did. Who was that? Siegfredo. So you knew that the person that was going to be initially harmed was Wendy's husband? Yes, ma'. Am. Katie also testifies about how she says Charlie directed her to transfer the money to the. And where did you get the money from to do that? From Charlie Adelson. It's compelling testimony against Charlie. But his defense attorney, Daniel Rashbomb, has a shocking explanation for jurors. He tells them Charlie wasn't part of the plot to kill Dan Markel. Instead, he was a victim of extortion that happened after the killing. You will learn that Charlie Adelson was told if he didn't pay within the next 48 hours, he or one of his family members would be next. It was a jaw drop moment. I'm scratching my head, thinking, is that going to work? Is that going to fly in this courtroom? Is the defense ready to call its next witness? Yes, you, Honor. We call Charlie Adelson. This is the biggest moment of the trial. Charlie testifying in his own defense. Please raise your right hand. The defense attorney wanted to have him on the stand as long as possible to really show these jurors all of the details. How do you feel right now? I'm really nervous. My whole life depends on it. The whole key was going to Be his testimony. It was going to be Charlie's testimony. And then cross examination, she's like, just come sit down. I need to talk to you. Katie denies it, but Adelson tells the jury about a conversation with the Magbanua the night of the murder. He claims she said that Danny Markell's killers knew the Adelsons had money and the murder was to get at that cash. If he didn't agree to pay them off, he and his family would be next. And I'm like, katie, I'm not going to be part of paying for a murder. This is insane. And she's like, look, if you don't pay in 48 hours, they will kill you. That's why Adelson testified he paid her that night. He says he gave Katie $138,000 from his safe. Over the months that followed, he admits he paid Katie thousands more and asked his mother, Donna, to put Katie on the payroll at the family dental practice. She said, was Katie going to be coming into the office? Is she going to start working for us? And I said, no, she's not. According to Charlie, Donna knew about the alleged extortion and. And that's why she signed all those checks made out to Katie on cross. The prosecutors poke holes in that explanation like a pinata. You extortionists send a girlfriend of their victim to collect their extortion money? Is that the way it's done, Doctor? I'm telling you what happened to me. And I was told that if I didn't pay in 48 hours, I would be killed. Georgia Kapelman asked Charlie, if he was so afraid, why did he buy Katie a series of gifts? Did you offer to buy Catherine McVanua and her mom a cruise? Yes. Did you pay for a meal service for Catherine McVanua? Yeah, I did. Did you pay for car repairs for her? Yeah. Are these gifts what it took to secure her silence for so long? No, absolutely not. I was never trying to get her silence. I. I was hoping she'd tell the truth. But listen to what happens when Wendy Adelson herself is asked about Charlie's extortion story. When did you learn that Catherine McBanewa was blackmailing your brother for the murder of your ex husband today? So he never told you? No. Wendy goes on to testify that despite the state never clearing her, she was not involved in the plot against Dan. Ms. Adelen, did you have anything to do with the murder of your ex husband? Absolutely not. It's fair to say the state has it wrong. Absolutely. But now it's up to the jury. Will they buy Charlie's defense? If this was a murder for Hyde, why was payment not made before? See, because he had no idea it was going to happen. That's the only thing that makes sense. He didn't do it. He didn't conspire to do it. He didn't solicit. Even his own sister doesn't believe this alone. He's trying to sell y'. All. In her closing arguments, prosecutor Georgia Kaplan takes the jury back to the motive for the murder. So who did it appear had a motive to want Dan Markell dead? His own family. Wendy appears to be the weakling of the pack. She needs to be saved by Donna and the defendant. The evidence has shown that Dan Martel was a major problem for Wendy and that meant he was a major problem for Donna, who in turn made Dan Martell a major problem for this defendant. And it's soon apparent that the jury has little trouble deciding. After just three hours, they're back with the verdict. When the verdict was read, the tension in the courtroom, you could feel it. We the jury find as follows as to count one of the indictments, first degree murder. The defendant is guilty of first degree murder. Charlie adelson is also found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. He looked devastated, deflated. Could you just describe the moment for us? Unbelievable joy, happiness. So long. In the aftermath of Charlie Adelson's conviction, everyone is wondering, is this the end? And the reaction from the prosecution is simply. Stay tuned. Is the investigation still going on? Yes. Yes. With four convictions already in the books, it's clear who prosecutors now have squarely in their sights. She's running scared. But can she outrun her own estranged son coming forward to testify against her? Could you tell us your name, please? Sure. Robert todd Adelson. A d e l s o n. You can't make it up. The victim with gun down. Like nothing. That someone thinks they can do this crime and get away with it. I didn't know there was a warrant. Aren't they supposed to inform him? No. We don't alert murderers that there's a warrant out for their arrest. Or alleged murderers. Now an all new look inside the trial the country couldn't stop watching. Is this grandmother the mastermind behind murder? Never in a million years would I have wanted Danny to be harmed or killed. A key witness who's speaking for the first time. And how did Donna Adelson feel about Dan Markell? I mean, she hates you have a son Testifying against his own mother. She's just being a parent, not a killer. She's a meddler, not a murderer. Does a typical jewish grandmother suggest dressing her grandchildren up in nazi uniforms? Not to my knowledge. I couldn't believe this was happening. If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it. Do we need to stay tuned? You can stay tuned. Not one single thing that said anything about wanting Danny markell killed. Tallahassee has not seen a bigger story than this. The Dan markel case seems like something out of a television series. Charlie adelson conspired with katherine mcbanawa to hire hitmen to drive up to tallahassee to kill dan markell. And a jury finds charlie guilty. In just a matter of hours, the defendant is guilty of first degree murder. The biggest question on everyone's mind after that conviction was, who's next? Is the prosecution going to go after Donna adelson? This is a prepaid collect call from charlie, an incarcerated individual at the leon county jail. This call is not private. It will be recorded and may be monitored. In the days after Charlie adelson's conviction for the murder of Dan markel, there's a flurry of calls between charlie and his mother, mom, Donna. They painted a picture without evidence. That's what they did. I was upset. I was just shocked. I just put my head down for a second and then picked my head back up. In 24 hours, I went from feeling like I was ready to win the super bowl and finding out how I got cancer. They blamed the legal system. It wasn't the legal system's fault. The evidence was the evidence. But there's no out of this. You can't believe this. If the world's going on around you, you're just trapped. But that's what happens when you commit crimes. People commit the crimes, but they don't want to do the time. Investigators. In these recorded calls, they hear one that seems to take an ominous turn. Charlie. Charlie, can you hear me? Can you hear me? Donna's on the phone with her son Charlie, and she understands that he has disconnected from the line. But she doesn't fully hang up the phone on her end. She puts the phone down, but it continues to record even as she's having conversations in her house with other people. You can trust. What she's saying at that point is probably the most truth she's ever going to say. And she does. She spills. It's clear she's ready to end her life. I can't. I Can't push it. I'm not that strong. And I'm more than willing to just say goodbye. We bought our cemetery property a couple months ago. We're good. I'm good. Leave a note. They'll know when to come and get it, and we'll do it together. And then, still being recorded, Donna bares her soul, complaining the life she envisioned with her beloved grandchildren isn't all she'd imagined it would be. Be. Wendy just debated it. So we've been really good nannies. And I guess our job is up because now the boys are older, so she doesn't need Grandma and Grandpa. Pretty hurtful. I have one son that I don't sleep with. I have one son who loves being dead. I don't get it. I said to Harvey, I swear to God, our family was cursed, absolutely cursed. And I don't have to take care of that anymore. Sounding desperate and alone, Donna on that same recording now suggests the best thing to do might be to leave the country and fast. There's a lot of things that we have to do, and we've got a very tight time frame. We've been looking it up over and over because things change. If there is extradition from Vietnam, because we've looked at all the places. I mean, I could go to Korea and China, but there's no extradition. But looking for places where there's no extradition. Before Donna makes her exit, she's heard on that recorded call making plans to share important documents with her daughter, Wendy, we're going to be gone. I want her to have all this information. I have the cemetery property. I want her to see all that. I want her to have all these papers and the wills. I want her to see all this. What investigators learn is that she has this one way ticket. Donna Adelson, along with her husband Harvey, they arrive at the Miami International Airport, planning to take this flight to Vietnam with a stop in Dubai. She had booked the flight one way. They hurriedly went to the judge and had the judge sign the warrant for arrest. With help from the FBI, local police converge on Miami International Airport to make that now infamous arrest. Final destination is Vietnam. And based on the allegations and the evidence in this case, it appears she was going there specifically because Vietnam is not a country with an extradition treaty with the United States. Somebody fleeing from a crime scene can be interpreted as consciousness of guilt, where you flee or you do something that evidences your guilt. And the jury instruction is you can infer guilt from that conduct, and it's very damaging and that ticket was a one way ticket, right? One of the fascinating things about murder cases, especially conspiracies, is it usually is their first rodeo. So they will do a series of things that are smart and then everything after that is done. In this case is a perfect example. When did they issue a warrant? Donna talks with the officer about the warrant that was issued for her. Both curious and also protesting. I didn't know there was a warrant. How would I know that? Aren't they supposed to inform me if there was a warrant? And of course the answer to that is no. We don't alert murderers that there's a warrant out for their arrest or alleged murderers. Now the only trip she's about to take is to the Leon county jail, the polar opposite of her former luxury high rise. And now Donna's worried if she'll even make it to trial. Someone came up behind me, pulled my left hand away from the sink, twisted my arm. She's a big woman and I was afraid of her. Handcuffed to a bench, everything is gray and drab because that is, that's the future. In custody, the evidence against this woman is extremely powerful. Donna Adelson was booked into the Miami Dade county jail tonight on an out of county warrant. The arrest comes one week after a jury foundation Charlie Adelson guilty of orchestrating the fatal shooting of his former brother in law, Dan Markell. Good morning. Please state your name for the records. Make sure you speak in the microphone. Donna Adelson. More than a year passes as Donna waits for trial, charged with first degree murder, conspiracy to commit first degree murder and solicitation to commit first degree murder. At a bond hearing February of 2025, the 74 year old matriarch, whose residence had been a tony Miami condo, tells a judge the Leon county detention facility is no luxury hotel. Can you describe the conditions inside the annex, please? There are 66 women, all in bunk beds, all open. They're kind of one on top of the next. There's no separation at all. And it's not, not just the grim living conditions. She's also apparently unhappy about what jail food has done to her once trim figure. I've gained more than a third of my body weight here. The diet is all carbs, no protein. And you know when you get, you get spaghetti with mashed potatoes, cornbread and white bread. That's your dinner. Donna also claims she's been the target of intimidation and assault by fellow inmates. I do want to talk to you then about some physical issues that have taken place in the jail the first one I want to talk about is an incident that took place in the shower. I was washing my hair, and all of a sudden someone came up behind me and pulled my left hand away from the sink and twisted my arm. I said, what are you doing? And she's in the same breath that she did that with my arm. She said, you're gonna buy me commissary. I said, I'm gonna what? And she said, unless you want those pretty white teeth knocked out of your mouth, you're gonna buy me commissary. So I said, okay. Okay. And I know that you don't want to talk about who did this to you because why. There's one thing I've learned since I'm there is you don't. The word is snitched. You don't snitch. You don't tell on anyone because you'll be sorry you did. She's a big woman, and I was afraid of her. Pleading for release five months before her trial and insisting she's not a flight risk. Donna now offers an explanation for the purchase of those infamous one way tickets to Vietnam. My husband and I literally shocked and traumatized at what had happened to Charlie. And he said, we need to just get some peace. We need to, sweetheart, let's go. Just get away. Just get away somewhere so we can have this. Sometimes I think, not surprisingly, the state is a bit skeptical. Okay, so your testimony is that you weren't trying to go to Vietnam because you wouldn't be able to be extradited from there. It's because, I don't know, maybe we watch too much TV or too many movies, but I've seen movies where people are stuck in like third world prisons and waiting and waiting and waiting. And my feeling was this is not what we want to happen. If we. If the state says they want us to come back, we'll buy a ticket, we'll come back on our own terms. We don't have to be sitting in a jail somewhere. We'll come back home and turn ourselves in. But jail is exactly where the judge rules. Donna will have to stay until her trial, which begins in August of 2020 25. Now, 11 years after her former son in law was gunned down. After multiple delays and attorney changes, we are now here at the start of the Donna Adelson trial. Adelen has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Everyone can be seated. Good morning, members of the jury. Thank you. Day one of the trial, seeing the amount of media that was there, there was sort of this, like, Nervous apprehension of what's going to happen. Who is the state going to call? Is there going to be a new piece of evidence we haven't seen Or a new witness that we haven't seen? Is the state prepared to give its opening statement at this time? You may proceed. You will see that this defendant conspired with her son, Charlie Adelson, who solicited his girlfriend, Catherine mcbanois, to get this murder done. And then this defendant paid her with cash, with checks for the job. And these acts make her guilty as a principal to first degree murder. Just as if she was the one pulling the trigger in the garage herself. Is the defense prepared to give its opening statement at this time? Yes, judge. You may proceed. I want to talk to you now about my client, Donna adelson. She is a normal person. People who know donna will tell you that she is not the person that the state is portraying her to be. She's kind, caring, loving. She cares more about people than she does about herself. The state has a theory, and for the past nine years, they have told the whole world that Mrs. Adelson was the reason that this happened. Without any evidence, only motive and theory, they put her at the top of this pyramid. She's the matriarch. She's the matriarch mastermind behind danny being killed. And they don't have evidence of that. Over the next two weeks, jurors will hear testimony from a parade of witnesses, including many of the same ones called to testify in the previous trials. They include investigators, forensic examiners, the convicted hitmen, Katie mcbanowa and even Wendy adelson. But there's also a new witness who may surprise you. One we've never heard from in this whole saga. Please raise your right hand to be sworn, Donna's estranged son, Rob Adelson. Good morning, members of the jury. Every day, Tallahassee Courtroom 3G is packed as the now 75 year old family matriarch, Donna adelson is on trial. Everyone can be seated. Courtroom 3G was so busy for the entirety of the trial, the energy in the courtroom was tense, but also there was a kind of nervous excitement about it. This murder was set into motion because back in 2014, this defendant's family had a big problem. And the big problem was Dan markell. Prosecutors lay out their case against Donna. Those nasty emails attacking Dan over the custody battle, that undercover sting video, and those payment checks written out to Katie and signed by donna. But then anticipation in the process courtroom ratchets up to a whole new level when the prosecution calls A brand new witness, please raise your right hand to be sworn. Donna Adelson's eldest son, Rob Adelson, walks into the courtroom. You have a son testifying against his own mother. Rob Adelson is estranged from his family. When he wanted to marry someone who wasn't Jewish, it was something that they didn't appreciate and that created friction in the family. This is his first time ever testifying. We haven't heard from him before. Would you describe Donna Adelson's personality as being more controlling or more laid back? I think more on the controlling side. I think she had certain sort of rigid, fixed ideas or impressions for what she wanted for us. And if you went along with that, things were fine. If you didn't, things were not. And Rob testifies that his mother was clearly not fine with her son in law, Dan Markell, after his divorce from Wendy. And how did Donna Adelson feel about dan Markell in 2014? She hated him. Rob also testifies that after Dan Markell's murder, he got a call from Donna warning him not to talk to law enforcement. She had called me and said, you know, I just want to let you know, you know, if the police come around, you know, don't talk to them. Did you let her know that you already had talked to law enforcement? Yeah, I said, I already did. What'd she say to that? She said, well, you don't know anything anyway. You don't. You don't know anything anyway. Correct. Rob Adelson testified that Donna Adelson had a complete lack of curiosity about the person behind the murder of Dan Markel. After the murder of Dan Markell, did Donna Adelson seem curious about who killed Dan Markell? No. Did you actually ever ask her, like, after the murder, like, hey, what do you think happened? Yeah. And I said, you know, what do you guys think happened? And she had said, you know, I don't know and I don't care. It doesn't concern me. Rob testifies that seemingly lack of concern about the case continued even after. After the two hitmen were arrested. So I finally broached the topic and said, they arrested someone who killed Danny. You know, there's no response. And I said it, you know, at least two or three times that, you know, they arrested me, they made an arrest, they got the guy who killed Danny. And then her response was, you know, I've got to go. That was the last time I spoke to her. The prosecution then brings forward two more bombshell witnesses. Two of Donna Adelen's fellow inmates. Now turned jailhouse snitches. You may take your seat. According to these inmates, Donna promised them in exchange for positive testimony, everything from cash veneers, health care, property, even prescription drugs. Did you ever outright ask her what? Whether she did what she's accused of? I did. And what did she say to that? She said she did it was to keep her grandkids. But it wasn't supposed to go that far. The reaction in the courtroom was audible. There was a gasp. There was an emotional reaction. But on cross examination, the defense gets Byrd to admit that Donna never stated that she actually carried through on her plans. Haven't you previously said that, Ms. Adelson? My client did not plan the murder. Cory, please call your next witness. She calls Drina Bernhardt. The other fellow inmate of Donna's who takes the stand is Drina Bernhardt. She too says she became close to Donna in jail, but went to authorities after she claims Donna asked her to lie on the stand for her. And one of the key pieces of evidence during Drina Bernhardt's testimony was a notebook that she had while she was incarcerated. And inside that was Donna's handwriting with what she wanted Drina to say on the stand. Almost like a question and answer script. Is this the script that was prepared for you by Ms. Ailson? Yes, ma', am, it is. Whose handwriting is this on this first page? That's Donna's, Ms. Anderson. Okay, so she wrote this in your notebook? Yes, ma'. Am. And what is it you're supposed to do with this information? I was supposed to study it and answer it correctly. On the stand for Drina testifies that one of those passages was an invented conversation between Donna and and Katie about that supposed extortion plot. Charlie was scared and easy to extort. What a stupid fool. He believed her that she was keeping him safe from the killers. Ha ha. What a joke. Is that the type of language that Catherine McBanowal would use? No. The defense claims that Drina had a lot to gain by testifying on the state's behalf to try and get a reduced sentence. You are facing 15 years mandatory day for day sentencing unless you can reach an agreement with the state. Correct. And then you meet Donna Adelon. Correct. Your get out of jail free card. I don't have an answer to that. The prosecution rests their case. Members of the jury, we are going to take our break in the trial at this point. And now it's the defense's turn. Do they have a trick up their sleeve? Because it sure looks like Donna's feeling good about her chances. Only if you take me with you. It's Day 10 inside of the courtroom, and it's the first time the defense is is going to present their case. But before even starting without the jury present, the defense takes a bold step. They asked the judge to dismiss some of the charges, the emails, text messages, the testimony. No one has said that my client solicited anybody to commit murder. What the defense is claiming is that the prosecution hasn't presented any evidence that Donna was actually involved in this murder plot before it happened. Venting about how somebody's treating their daughter is not the same as asking somebody to have them killed or asking the court grant judgment of acquittal on counts one and count three. Judges rarely grant these kinds of motions because they don't want to take the decision away from the jury. While there is a lot of circumstantial evidence and inferences in this case, there is also direct evidence. And in this case, after hearing from prosecutors, that's just what happened. Motion for judgment of acquittal will be denied at this time. So the jury returns to the courtroom, and the defense starts calling witnesses. And these are essentially friends of Donna Adelson who are all talking about her good character and how she's a good person. Do you describe Donna as typical Jewish grandmother? More than typical. And a typical Jewish mother? Yes. Have you ever heard her threaten anyone? Never. Have you ever seen her harm anyone? Never. Have you ever heard her threaten to have somebody harmed? No. The defense is trying to make Donna look as sympathetic as they can for the jury, but prosecutors can attack that image on cross examination. Does a typical jewish grandmother suggest dressing her grandchildren up in nazi uniforms? Not to my knowledge. Did she talk to you about plans to threaten or to convert the children to christianity in order to strong arm Mr. Markell? She mentioned that she had said that, and she said that was so foolish of me. Those friends go on to testify about what they say they saw after Donna's son Charlie was convicted. Was she upset? Yes, she cried a lot. Just incredibly sad. She was considering taking her own life because of that. The defense is sticking to that story that Donna wanted to go to Vietnam to clear her head. A temporary vacation as those friends go on to testify. And I suggested, since you don't know when you're coming back until sometime in January, you know, book a one way said, I'd be willing to bet it's cheaper to fly from Vietnam to the United States than it is from the United States to Vietnam. The one way ticket was not them fleeing the country because they had to come back for a bar mitzvah that was scheduled. They didn't know how long they were going to be gone. But they were coming back for the bar mitzvah. Oh, definitely. They wouldn't miss it for the world. Once again, prosecutors pointedly challenged the testimony on cross examination. When she went to Vietnam or was trying to go to Vietnam to clear her head, she was going to clear her head in a non extradition country. Can you agree with that? I wasn't aware it was non extradition. Remember, the defense just needs to convince at least one juror that there's reasonable doubt, that the story is not what the prosecutors claimed. For example, that whole divorce custody case, that supposedly highly charged fight that prosecutors claim led to the murder. The defense calls Wendy's divorce lawyer. Would you call her divorce a bitter custody battle? I would not. A run of the mill kind of parenting issue kind of case. And then a lawyer who was not involved, but who the defense hired to review the records of the case. Case. It was settled amicably and everybody was moving on with their lives. And quickly. Yes. Did it appear my client accepted that Wendy was going to be staying in Tallahassee? Yes. That it was done. To you, it might not seem like a big deal, but to the parties, it might be the most important thing in the whole wide world. There was really heated cross examination by the pro prosecution, really focusing on the fact that it might not be contentious for her who practices law every day, but it is contentious for the two people involved in this case when what's at stake is the custody of their children. You would not say that divorce and child custody issues are emotionally charged. They can be. But in this case, they weren't. They weren't. How do you know? From the pleadings. Still, as the defense case goes on, Donna appears in good spirits. Of that foot. Okay. There's actually body camera footage of an officer escorting Donna to court. And she's all smiles as she arrives in a wheelchair. You got a big day? Yeah. Judge me not like there was a lot of questioning about is Donna going to testify? Are we going to hear from her for the first time and hear in her own words what happened? That's going to require some additional conversations with her client. But when the lawyers tell the judge Donna still hasn't decided if she wants to testify, the judge calls a halt to the proceedings. He gives the jurors a long lunch break. So Donna's going to have plenty of time to make up her mind. Everyone can be Suited when court resumes concerning those rights as to whether you will remain silent or whether you will testify. Have you made a decision concerning this matter? I haven't. I'm not prepared to make that decision. This decision affects the rest of my life. I couldn't believe this was happening. I. I can't believe that we're here and we're still waiting for her to make a decision. Mrs. Edelson, you're an assassin. Same position as every other criminal defendant who faces trial. Ultimately, you must decide whether you will testify or whether you will not. I will give you exactly five additional minutes. Misses Ellman, Ms. Fulford, Mrs. Adelson, the extra time that you have been provided that has come to a conclusion. Those five minutes the judge gave donna to decide if she's going to testify are now over. Her answer may be the most hotly anticipated moment of the whole trial. As it relates to your right to remain silent and your right to testify, what is your decision concerning these two rights? I just remember that it being seconds of silence, Complete and utter silence. And you're seeing people craning to see what she's doing, what she's seeing. What's she thinking? What is she going to say? Then finally, donna answers softly this time, I don't want to test it. Donna is not going to tell her side, not going to subject herself to cross examination. And with that, the defense rests. The state calls no rebuttal witnesses. And so the next day, it's on to the closing arguments. This is Dan Markell. He's the victim in this case. A son, a brother, a colleague, but most of all, a father. Prosecutor Georgia kaplan. She begins her closing argument where she's telling this jury that Dan Markell, he's the victim here, he's the center, and that he was someone who was trying to fight for custody of his kids. But the more that he fought, the more that donna adelson got angry. She wasn't going to get what she wanted through the legal system. But that wasn't the only way to skin a cat, was it? The ends justify the means for her people. Capelman says those ends. Relocating her grandkids away, away from tallahassee Led to Donna's plan. She used Charlie to get dan killed. What was the cost of that to not only Dan markell, but to those little boys, those boys who lost their father? It wasn't better for them to be in south Florida. It was better for them to have their father. This defendant decided they didn't need their dad. She doesn't get to decide that. May you have the strength and the common sense to see this evidence for what it is. It's only one thing, only one truth. Find her guilty. That was a highly emotional moment. And I think for them, it was a chance to say, this is what you're doing it for. This is who we're seeking justice for. It is for these two little boys that lost their father. But then the defense came in and said something equally as powerful. We sat here for days listening to testimony of witness after witness getting on this stand. Not a single one of them connected my client to Danny Markell's murder. Not one. Jackie Fulford tells the jury not to get sidetracked by all that emotion. She says they must focus only on the evidence of what Donna did leading up to the murder. Not a single email, no. No phone calls that are recorded, no written documents, no emails. Not one single thing that said anything about wanting Danny Markell killed. She admits Donna called Dan Markell a lot of bad names and that she may have been overly involved in her kids lives, but she's just being a parent, not a killer. She's a meddler, not a murderer. They haven't proven that to you. You have to find her not guilty because they have failed to do their job. Prior to that closing argument, I would say that the general consensus was that she's guilty. I think for the first time after the defense's closing arguments, there was an element of maybe they will find her innocent. The defense team looked rather confident with their client. Like they had given it their all, they had put on a great defense and that hopefully they had given the jury something to think about that equaled reasonable doubt. And in fact, trial watchers saw some legal analysts predicting a possible win for Don. I don't believe the case was proven against Donna Adelson. I believe it's very. It's far from being proven. I think she's. She should be acquitted completely. And then only about three hours after the jury left, we have a verdict in the matriarch mastermind murder trial. It's about the same, same amount of time the jury took in Charlie's trial. We really weren't sure what this jury was coming back with. After three hours, there was a sentiment that it was possible it could go either way. The judge comes in. Please bring in the jurors. It was so tense in that room. I. I've never felt tension like that. The jury comes in as the jury reached a unanimous verdict. Yeah. The bailiff hands the verdict to the judge. No one Was moving. I don't think anyone was breathing honestly. It was that tense. The defendant is guilty of first degree murder. Mrs. Adelson, control yourself. When the verdict was read out, Donna adelson let out a very audible gasp. A lot of like, no, no, no moving around. While this was not the outcome I'm sure that you desired, There will not be any further outbursts in front of the jury. It was so emotional that judge everett had to ask the jury to be removed from the courtroom. Members of the jury, the bailiff will escort you to the jury room so he could remind donna adelson to control her emotions. Do you need a moment to collect yourself? Please give her tissues if she needs them. There's part of me that thinks it was an act that she wasn't just going to sit calmly. She was going to give the reaction that perhaps the public expects from someone when they are innocent and found guilty. Dan markell's parents sit stoically a few feet away. How many times must they have wanted to speak their mind to donna? In just a few minutes, they will finally come get their chance. And donna speaks and says something the jury never heard. And one of them is now speaking to 20 20. My name is Evan Higginbotham. I was juror number six in Donna Adelson's trial. My name is evan higginbotham. That was juror number six in donna adelson's trial. The defendant is guilty of first degree murder. The prosecution had a long list of evidence and I think it was how they presented that evidence in the trial that laid out everything to finally land me at a guilty verdict. At the end of it. We the jury find as follows. The defendant is guilty of first degree murder. Mrs. Adelson, control yourself. I expected it to be difficult to be in the same room as her when she was told that she would likely be spending the rest of her life in prison. But it was definitely challenging to see her come to terms with that. After the verdict comes down, Dan markell's parents are allowed to address the court. Our lives will never return to normal. For those who love danny and for those who danny loved, There is no escape from the wicked effects of what don adelson set in motion, carried out and paid for, and for many years enjoyed the aftermath of donna's selfishness, cruelty and complete disrespect for human life, along with that of her co conspirators have left families forever broken. I wish that every day of her remaining days she thinks about the harm she has Caused to so many, especially those two boys she claims to have loved so much. And my only short question to Donna. Was it worth it? When Donna's being transported to the facility from the courthouse, she's visibly emotional. After the trial, prosecutor Georgia Kappelman reflects on the case and its littlest victims. Dan and Wendy's sons. Yeah, there's no justice for them, and I haven't done them any favors today. And I want to sleep over that fact. The family's just been totally destroyed. I hate that. Sometimes it feels a little bit like being a part of it, you know? So I wish them nothing but the best. Reporters immediately want to know if there will be more prosecutions in the case. Do we need to stay tuned? You can stay tuned. The last time Georgie Kaplan says stay tuned is after Charlie was convicted and Donna's arrested days later. All right. At sentencing, we heard from Harvey for the first time on the record. Donna has always been a loving and caring wife and is innocent of the charges. A biased judge and jury were influenced by years of one sided news pieces. Donna Radelson wanted to share some comments at her own sentencing. If I had become aware of this plan before Danny was murdered, I would have stopped it. The minute Donna Adelson starts speaking, she's immediately emotional. With not one iota of actual evidence, the state convinced the Tallahassee jury that I solicited and conspired with other people to have Danny killed. Where is the evidence prior to the murder? Vadelson, you certainly can continue. However, the court can take into consideration the utter lack of remorse that you are displaying. The judge reminds her that this is her opportunity to show remorse, to tell him why he should sentence her to less. But it seems that Donna isn't really interested that never in a million years would I have wanted Danny to be harmed or killed. Nor could I ever do something that would leave these two small boys to grow up without him. You certainly can choose to deny your involvement and maintain innocence. The court finds the evidence in this case is clear. You will be sentenced accordingly this afternoon. Ms. Adelson, please rise. Despite her pleas of innocence, Donna Adelson is sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Dan Markell, with an additional 30 years for the solicitation and conspiracy charges. This is Dan. As for Dan Markell's family, their lives remain forever changed. I was Danny's older sister. Nothing can ever be the same again. Danny is gone, and that's number one. But number two, we don't have the connection to his family to his boys. So for my parents, they have a gaping hole because their son was murdered, but they also lost their grandchildren. It's very difficult. These boys are missing out on a set of grandparents that have all this warmth and desire to spoil them and be grandparents to them. This is a great picture of the two of us. I try very hard to push all this to the back of my mind, but needless to say, every single day, in one way or another, it gets pushed back from the back to the front. Dan's mother says she remembers her son for what she considers his most meaningful achievement. Danny was a great father. One of the things with all his accomplishments, to me, I'm the proudest of him as a father. We should point out tonight that Charlie Adelson has appealed his murder conviction and his mother, Donna, says she plans to as well. It has now been 10 years since Dan Markell's murder. His children are actually teenagers now. That's our program for tonight. Thanks for watching. I'm Deborah Roberts. And I'm David Muir. From all of us at 2020 and ABC News. Good. The College Football Playoff isn't over, not yet. That epic run, that wild dream, not over till the clock hits zero, till the stadium shakes. Til the wild things are let loose. Til the trophy is lifted and the confetti falls. This is the national championship. When it's over, you'll feel it. This is the wild world of College Football, the CFP National Championship, Monday, January 19th at 7:30pm Eastern on ESPN and the ESPN app.